This invention relates to systems and methods of determining when adhesive in a replaceable adhesive dispenser is nearly spent.
Today, a variety of different bookbinding systems can deliver professionally bound documents, including books, manuals, publications, annual reports, newsletters, business plans, and brochures. A bookbinding system generally may be classified as a commercial (or trade) bookbinding system that is designed for in-line manufacturing of high quality volume runs or an in-house (or office) bookbinding system designed for short xe2x80x9con-demandxe2x80x9d runs. Commercial bookbinding systems generally provide a wide variety of binding capabilities, but require large production runs (e.g., on the order of thousands of bindings) to offset the set-up cost of each production run and to support the necessary investment in expensive in-line production equipment. Office bookbinding systems, on the other hand, generally involve manual intervention and provide relatively few binding capabilities, but are significantly less expensive to set up and operate than commercial bookbinding systems, even for short on-demand production runs of only a few books.
In general, a bookbinding system collects a plurality of sheets (or pages) into a text body (or book block) that includes a spine and two side hinge areas. The bookbinding system applies an adhesive to the text body spine to bind the sheets together. A cover may be attached to the bound text body by applying an adhesive to the side hinge areas or the spine of the text body, or both. The cover of a typical commercial soft cover book generally is attached to the text body spine. The covers of hardcover books and some soft cover xe2x80x9clay flatxe2x80x9d books, on the other hand, typically are attached to the side hinge areas of the text body and are not attached to the text body spines (i.e., the spines are xe2x80x9cfloatingxe2x80x9d).
Many different systems have been proposed for providing replaceable adhesive cartridges for bookbinding systems.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,632,853 describes a desktop bookbinding device for binding a stack of sheets along a stack edge using a cold set aqueous adhesive. The desktop bookbinding device is an office system having a liquid adhesive storing compartment that is connected to a disposable, non-refillable liquid adhesive cartridge, which includes an applicator belt. The applicator belt applies liquid adhesive to the stack edge when a carriage drives the cartridge along the stack of sheets.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,540,458 describes a booklet binding system in which a set of sheets is delivered seriatim along a sheet path leading from an input station to an assembly station where a booklet is formed. As a sheet is moved along the path, a line of liquid adhesive is applied to one surface of the sheet adjacent to one side of the sheet. The adhesive dispensing system includes a replaceable, pressurizable cartridge of liquid adhesive. An emitter and a detector are located in the cartridge holder and are configured to provide a signal to a system controller that indicates that the level of liquid adhesive in the cartridge is above or below the lower end of the cartridge. In the assembly station, the sheets are jogged to align the sheets of the set and pressure is applied to the sheets over the line of liquid adhesive. When the entire set has been bound together into a booklet, the booklet is removed from the assembly station and delivered to an output station.
Still other bookbinding systems have been proposed.
The invention features novel systems and methods of determining when adhesive in a replaceable adhesive dispenser is nearly spent.
In one aspect, the invention features a bookbinding system that includes a receptacle for receiving a plug-in cartridge housing of an adhesive dispenser containing a length of solid sheet adhesive wound into a roll, and an adhesive quantity interrogator that is configured to obtain an indication of the length of solid sheet adhesive remaining within the plug-in cartridge housing.
Embodiments in accordance with this aspect of the invention may include one or more of the following features.
In one embodiment, the adhesive quantity interrogator is configured to interrogate a memory device that is mounted on the plug-in adhesive cartridge and is programmed to store an indication of the length of solid sheet adhesive remaining within the plug-in cartridge housing. The adhesive quantity interrogator may be configured to store in the memory device an indication of the length of solid sheet adhesive remaining within the plug-in cartridge housing.
In some embodiments, the adhesive quantity interrogator comprises a sensor that is configured to sense when the solid sheet adhesive within the plug-in cartridge housing is nearly spent.
The sensor may be configured to optically sense when the solid sheet adhesive is nearly spent. For example, the sensor may be configured to sense when the solid sheet adhesive is nearly spent based upon a light signal transmitted toward a side of the roll of solid sheet adhesive. Alternatively, the sensor may be configured to sense when the solid sheet adhesive is nearly spent based upon a light signal transmitted toward an exposed surface of solid sheet adhesive. In some embodiments, the sensor is configured to sense when the solid sheet adhesive is nearly spent based upon a change in light response of the exposed surface of solid sheet adhesive. In other embodiments, the sensor is configured to sense when the solid sheet adhesive is nearly spent based upon detection of an information-containing symbol disposed on the exposed surface of the solid sheet adhesive.
In one embodiment, the sensor is configured to magnetically sense when the solid sheet adhesive is nearly spent based upon detection of a magnetic indicator that is disposed near an end of the solid sheet adhesive.
In another embodiment, the sensor is configured to physically sense when the solid sheet adhesive is nearly spent based upon contact between a probe and a surface of the roll of solid sheet adhesive. The probe preferably is configured to remain in contact with the surface of the roll of solid sheet adhesive by turning on a pivot. The sensor may be configured to sense the length of solid sheet adhesive remaining within the plug-in cartridge housing based upon an angle at which the probe turns on the pivot. The angle at which the probe turns on the pivot may be measured based upon an electrical resistance measurement.
In another aspect, the invention features an adhesive dispenser that includes a plug-in cartridge housing that is configured to plug into a receptacle of a bookbinding system, a length of solid sheet adhesive that is disposed within the plug-in cartridge housing and wound into a roll, and an indicator of the length of solid sheet adhesive remaining within the plug-in cartridge housing.
Embodiments in accordance with this aspect of the invention may include one or more of the following features.
The length indicator may comprise a memory device that is mounted on the plug-in adhesive cartridge and is programmed to store an indication of the length of solid sheet adhesive remaining within the plug-in cartridge housing.
The length indicator may comprise an interrogatable feature that is disposed on an exposed surface of the solid sheet adhesive. The interrogatable surface feature may comprise a change in light response of the exposed surface of solid sheet adhesive, an information-containing symbol disposed on the exposed surface of the solid sheet adhesive, or a magnetic indicator disposed near an end of the solid sheet adhesive.
Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, including the drawings and the claims.